Second Chances
by Iloveanimex
Summary: Based after 'The dying of the light'. Valkyrie decides to go back, finally listening to Skulduggery, and choosing redemption over running away. She is so desperately wanting to be part her old life, but what will everyone's reaction be to her return, after six years of silence. Will she be excepted, or shrouded further into darkness...
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Skulduggery pleasant story! So please be nice! And please leave a review xD**

**I do not own Skulduggery pleasant... yet! All credit goes to Derek Landy, WHO IS AWESOME!**

**SPOILER ALLERT! Don't read unless you have finished 'Dying of the light!'.**

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><p>Six years earlier<p>

"DAMN IT SKULDUGGERY! I don't care what you promised, or what she did that was apparently so terrible! WHERE IS SHE?!" Melissa demanded, her eyes brimming with tears. "She is my daughter, and so you have no right keep her hiding place a secret!"

"I told you, I don't know. All I know, is that she wanted to leave... she was saying something about not deserving a family" Skulduggery insisted sullenly, his hand coving her fist, as she tried to hit him in the chest.

"But- but your her friend right? She would tell you something like this! So please! Tell me where she is!" Melissa yelled, before her knees gave in. She would have fallen to the ground, if it hadn't have been for her husbands hold of her, and Skulduggery's hand on her shoulder.

"You think I don't miss her too... If I knew where she was, I would be round in a second... But I know she will be back...

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><p>Present day<p>

Melissa, Desmond and Alice sat in front of the fire. A silence had fallen over them. It was a comfortable silence, but one full of sadness. Everyday, for the last six years, they sat and prayed for the return of Stephanie.

Alice sat in the middle, a blanket clutched to her chest, her eyes shut tight. She opened one eye after a long moment, seeing the teary eyes of her mother, and even sullen expression her father wore. She placed her hand on her mothers, and her other on her fathers.

"Please don't cry mum" Alice begged, her voice high yet soft.

Melissa let out a noise of amusement, while she dried her tears. She pulled Alice to her, kissing her remaining child's head...

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><p>Valkyrie had a nerves smile on her lips, as she approached the door. She could see Skulduggery's outline through the translucent window. She sighed, in an attempt to calm herself.<p>

"Danny. Go through the back door" She instructed. "I hope our paths cross again someday"

"Ok, thank you so much Valkyrie. And I am sure we will meet again" Danny smiled, before walking through the hall to the door in the back. He sure as hell didn't want to meet a skeleton. He had, had more then enough craziness to last a life time. But his main reason for leaving was, he didn't want to ruin such a reunion.

From how she spoke of Skulduggery, he could tell that he was special to her. Her voice was cheerier when she even mentioned his name, as strange as it was...

Skulduggery stood on the other side of the door, his skull a void of emotion, yet Valkyrie could tell he was happy. He held his head high, and had his gloved hands were in his pockets. Valkyrie had been able to recognise it as cheerfulness.

"Six years is a long time Valkyrie... what where you thinking, abandoning me like that?" He asked, pulling her to him, and smothering her with a hug. She hugged him back, tears building towards a steady flow. She wiped them, overwhelmed with emotions.

She picked up her suit-case, and attempted to follow Skulduggery to the Bentley. He stopped her, to take her bags, before carrying on. She didn't stop him, as she didn't trust her voice.

She moved to the font, pleasantly surprised to find her seat as it was. She lowered it slightly, haven grown taller, and sat down. Skulduggery slid in next to her, sparing her a glance, before starting the engine and driving off.

"I'm sorry" Valkyrie muttered under her breath. Skulduggery looked up at her, seeing that pained, grief-stricken gaze, he had only seen a few times. When Ghastly was killed, when the Remnant bonded with Tanith, and when she had killed her sister to save the world. Was leaving him that horrible an act in her eyes?

The ride home was long, and silent. Valkyrie slept through most of it, but in the times she was awake, she stayed relatively silent. It wasn't as comfortable as some of their other silences, being they both so desperately wanted to say so much to each other, but didn't even know where to start.

They had never been separated so long, and so the need to know that their friendship was still alive and strong, was eating away at them.

Skulduggery wordlessly drove up to Valkyrie's home, knowing that the girl would most likely want to see her family. And even if she doesn't, he knew she needed to. Melissa and Desmond had not stopped asking him about her.

The two walked to the door, tension running high. Valkyrie was holding her breath, not even noticing what she was doing. She knocked sharply on the door, and within mere seconds, her mother was their...

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><p><strong>Hello guys! Please tell me what you think! And more importantly, don't mention 'Armageddon Outta here' since I have yet to read it yet! Thank you so much for reading, love you all!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**I know... this chapter is REALLY short. I am normally better then this, and try to give at least 1000 word chapters... but to be completely honest, my timetable doesn't allow such a thing. I will try my best then, to keep my short updates frequent, so please stay with me! **

**And thank you all so much for all those wonderful reviews. For writing about a different fandom made me wonder if anyone would notice my story, instead of one made by a well known writer on this fandom.**

**So I love you guys, from the bottom of my heart! Please R&R! And if you have any ideas or suggestions, please do not hesitate to share them! I love readers involvement!**

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><p>Melissa stood there, looking into the eyes of her long lost child. She hadn't given up hope, but she still didn't think Stephanie would be on the other side of the door.<p>

She reached out, cupping her cheek. As if to make sure this wasn't just a cruel dream that she would soon wake from. After a few more moments, she was sure that Stephanie was in front her, not some hallucination, or figment of her own imagination.

She made a noise, that sounded like a muffled cry, and she pulled her daughter to her. She quickly enveloped her into a hug, one of which Valkyrie was sure she wouldn't be breaking out of any time soon. But this thought made her happy, that her mother had indeed missed her, and was happy to have her back. While she didn't think she deserved this, Valkyrie vowed that one day, she would once again be worthy of a mothers love.

Saving the world meant nothing to her, when it meant she had to kill her dear little sister in the process. Even though she had brought her back, what kind of sick, twisted human kills a child, and one in which they are related to. It made her want to puke. She was a horrible person.

Footsteps echoed through the house, and she heard a sharp intake of breath. Behind her mother, her father stood. He was holding the hand of a child, of about the age of six. Melissa reluctantly withdrew from the embrace, and Valkyrie was then pulled into her fathers arms.

"I knew our Stephanie would come back! Didn't I say that Des! She's back to us" Melissa cried, a smile on her lips. She wiped her eyes, and then she hugged Skulduggery.

"Thank you for bring her back... " She whispered, before she let him go, and hugged Valkyrie from behind.

Alice stood there, seeing her parents hugging a girl she doesn't know. But she looked like the photos she'd seen, and she remembered her mother talking about her.

"Mummy?" She called. The hug broke, and all three of them looked at the child. Valkyrie felt her tears threaten to fall. Without a second thought, she knelt to the floor, and hugged her little sister. Alice looked shocked, but hugged her back. A small part of her, remembered her sister. And it helped that Valkyrie looked the same.

"Oh Alice! I missed you so much! I will never leave you like that again" Valkyrie cooed, rubbing her back. Alice, hugged Valkyrie neck, not loosing her hold. Valkyrie giggled, tears rolling down her cheek. Her sister remembered her, and was even hugging her back. She had never wanted anything more then this.

"Skulduggery, please come in" Des offered, feeling the cold against his skin. It was rather late, and the middle of winter. The cold was to be expected. Skulduggery did as he was told, muttering a small 'thank you' even though he didn't have skin, and therefore couldn't be cold...

It took half an hour for the excitement to die down. And then all that was left, was a need. A deep seeded need to ask questions and have answers. It was like this with Skulduggery too. They knew it wasn't as simple as just asking, and even Des felt hesitant to speak. Valkyrie wanted to know, if by chance, they had replaced her, and they wanted to know why she had left...

Unbeknownst to them, these burning desires, built a wall between them. And if they didn't do something, Valkyrie would be completely lost behind it, alone and isolated within the confines of her own heart...


End file.
